Sterling set to present Clive Churchill medal after Mitchell controversy

Peter Sterling is set to be asked to present this year’s Clive Churchill medal as the NRL overhauls the presentation ceremony for one of rugby league’s most prestigious awards.

The backlash to Rod Churchill’s recent criticism of Latrell Mitchell has prompted the NRL to end the long-standing tradition of a Churchill family member presenting the man-of-the-match award at the grand final.

The NRL and Churchill family have agreed that Rod will not be on stage after this year’s decider to present the medal named after his father, rugby league immortal Clive Churchill, as was the case last year when Dylan Edwards won the award for his role in the Panthers’ triumph over Parramatta.

Rod Churchill has accepted the NRL’s stance but has asked the governing body to recognise the history of the award by asking former recipients to present it to the new winner in the future.

Churchill requested that the first recipient of the award in 1986 – Parramatta’s Sterling, who starred in a 4-2 victory over arch rivals Canterbury – present the medal to this year’s winner.

Manly legend Cliff Lyons (1987 winner) would then be asked to present the award to the 2024 winner, followed by Canterbury’s Paul Dunn in 2025, Raiders great Bradley Clyde in 2026, and so on.

It’s unlikely Clyde and Billy Slater, who have both won the award twice, will be asked to present the medal on two separate occasions. It means Edwards, the most recent recipient, would be due to present the medal in 2057.

The decision to sever formal ties with the Churchill family on grand final day has been rubber-stamped by the ARL Commission directors.